Fibebs feom leayes ob plaits



(No Model.)

G. SANFORD,

MACHINE PUB. GBTAINING FIBERS PROM LEAVES R PLANTS.

Patented July Y,

Il. lille FFI@ Ferrini* i GELSTON SANFORD, OF BROOKLYN, NEY YORK.

MACHlNE FOR OBTAlNlNG FIBERS FROM LEAVSS PLA "'TS.

EPJGIFIGLTION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,536, dated duly E', 3.835.

Application dled September 29, 188i.

To all whom, may concern.' l

Be it known that I, GnLsToN SANFORD, of l the city oi' Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Obtaining Fibers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is more particularly intended for cleaning or treating the leaves or other parts of fiber-bearing plants while in a green state, and au important object of the invention is to provide a small and portable inachine, which may he sold at a low price, and which inay be operated either by a han d-crank or foot-treadle, or by power.

In my improved machine I employ an endless chain or belt of scrapers, which is supported and nioved by pairs of wheels or iianges, which engage with the chain or belt, and so move it continuously in one direction, the portion of the chain or belt which is between the pairs of supporting-wheels or iianges being made to move in-a straight line, and preferably in a line which is vertical, or nearly so. The pintlcs or joint-pins of the chain or belt are provided at the ends with rollers, which run upon straight tracks which extend throughout the operative portion of the chain or belt, and so hold the Scrapers to a straight line and prevent their yielding away from the work while operative. The upright or other side frames, which support the above-de scribed moving parts of the machine, are provided with ribs or guards, which just permit the pintles or joint-pins of the chain or belt of scrapers to pass easily between them, but which prevent the rollers from slipping off the pintles orjoint-pius. At the front of the inachine is a board or plate, which has a iiat iuner surface and furnis a support for the leaves while under the action of the Scrapers. This board or plate ishinged at the lower edge, so that it can be swung outward to place the leaves upon it and remove thcni from it. I also einploy a brush, which may be rotary or stationary, past and in contact with which the Scrapers are carried, and by which they are cleaned.

Theinvention consists in nov el combinations (No model of parts, hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a lront elevation oi a machine embodying niy invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof in a plane at right angles to the front. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the dotted linexx, Fig. 2, and Fig: 4 is a sectional view upon a larger scale of a portion of the chain or belt of Scrapers.

Similar letters of reference designate correspending parts in all the figures.

The frame of theninachine may be of any suitable construction and material. As here shown, it consists of a base. portion, A, supported by feet or legs A, and upright side plates or pieces, B B, suruiounted by a top plate or piece, B. All these parts may be bolted together or otherwise securely connected.

O C designate upper and lower shafts journaled in bearings in the side plates or pieces, B B, and having secured fast upon them pairs of wheels or iianges C?, which support and impart niotion to an endless chain er belt of Scrapers, which I shall soon describe.

The lower shaft, C', by preference, is the one which is positively rotated to give motion to the chain or belt of scrapers. It may be operated by hand, and to this end is provided with a iiywheel, O3, in which is lined a handle or handcrank, u; or it may be operated by foot-power, and to this end has at the end opposite the lywheel C:s a small crank, b, connected by a pitlnan or rod, c, with a treadle, D. This treadle may consist of a straight lcveror piece, D, and a brace or piece, D', offset therefrom, as shown in Fig. 3. The iulcruin pins or pivots d ofthe treadle may be fixed in the legs or feet A, as best shown in Fig. 3, and on vthese the treadle may work.

In lieu of separate pivots d, a single rod might be extended between the oppositelegs, A', as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 8.

The chain or belt oi' Scrapers may be ol" any suitable construction. As here shown, it consists of a series of plates, E, which are about equal in length to the space between the side plates or pieces, B, and are provided with 1ntermatching lugs or ears e, through which are inserted pintles or joint-pins f, whereby the plates are connected like the leaves of a hinge. rlhe plates E, with their lugs or ears, are preferably of cast metal, and each has on its outer face a projecting flange, c', to which ascraper or scrapingblade, g, is bolted or riveted.

Upon the ends ofthe pintles orjoint-pinsf are fitted small rollers f. These rollers might be secured by riveting over the ends of the pins, if desired; but I preferto form the plates B B with raised ribs or Surfaces h, as Shown in Fig. 3. The ends of the pins travel very close to these ribs h, and the latter form guards which prevent the rollers from slipping off the pins.

'Ihe anges or wheels G2 have notches in their edges, which receive or engage with the rollers j", and so drive the chain or belt of Scrapers in the direction indicated by the arrows, Fig. 2.

In order to compel the descending portion of the chain of scrapers to travel in a straight linein descending, I provide on the side plates, B, straight tracks or ways t', on which the rollers f run, and whereby the Scrapers are prevented from yielding backward while in operation. I have here shown similar tracks or ways, i', at the back of the machine for the ascending portion of the chain of Scrapers; but these are not indispensable.

At the front of the machine iS a board or plate, F, hinged at the lower end and capable of being swung inward to the position shown in Fig. 2 by full lines, or outward tothe position there shown by dotted lines.

I have here shown hook bolts j as inserted through the plate or board F, and engaged with a cross-rod, k, thus forminga hinge, and in order to permit the board or plate to yield forward slightly I place under the nuts of the bolts j springs j', which may consist of blocks of india-rubber or of metal.

The upper edge of the plate or board F is armed with a serrated plate, l, and the said board is provided with a handle, m, which eX- tends upward and has a horizontally-extending portion, m. The handle is connected with the plate or board F at one side only, and hence affords an opening on the other side for the placing of the leaves on the board.

To use the machine, the front plate or board, F is swung forward to the position shown in Fig. 2 by dotted lines. rIhe leaf is laid on the front or inner side of the plate or board with its upper end pressed down over the serrated plate Z. Ihc plate or board is then swung inward and there held by the handle m m', the same hand which holds said handle grasping a projection or rib, n, on the top plate, B', of the frame. The chain of scrapers is then put in operation, and as they descend they scrape and clean the leaf, which is supported by the flat inner surface of the plate or board, and is held against them with a yielding pressure, owing to the spring-cushions j.

It is desirable to clean the scrapers to free them from the substance scraped from the leaves, and to this end I providea brush past or in contact with which the scrapers are carried. I have here shown a revolving brush, G, supported at the back of the machine and operated by a wheel and pinion, o o, from the upper shaft, C. This brush turns in the direction indicated by the arrows, Fig. 2, and thereby cleans the scrapers and frees them from any accumulation of gummy vegetable matter.

The hinged front plate or board,F,does not extend to the top of the machine, but the space above it is closed by a plate orguard-plae, p, which is held in place by bolts p inserted through slots :t in the plate and lugs or ears on the side pieces or plates, B. This plate p should be adjusted downward until it just per mits the serrated platel to pass under it,when the front board or plate, F, is swung inward. The guard-plate p then not only prevents the hands of the operator from coming inthe way of the scrapers,but also holds the leaf down in engagement with the serrated plate Land gives the latter a strong hold on the leaf.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and -desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a machine for obtaining fibers, the combination, with an endless chain of scrapers and wheels and shafts for operating the same, of a board or plate on which the leaves are supported while under the action of the scrapers, and which is movable away from the scrapers to provide for placing leaves thereon and removing leaves therefrom, substantially as herein described.

2. In a machine for obtaining fibers, the combination, with an upright chain or belt of scrapers and wheels and shafts for operating the same, of a board or plate for supporting leaves while under the action of the scrapers, and hinged at the lower end to provide for placing leaves thereon and removing them therefrom, Substantially as herein described.

3. The combination, with the upright chain or belt of scrapers and wheels and shafts for operating the same, of the front plate or board, F, having a yielding or elastic hingesupport at the lower end, substantially as herein described.

4. The combination, with the upright chain or belt of scrapers and shafts and wheels for operating the same, of the front plate or board, F, hinged at the lower end and provided at the upper end with a handle attached to the plate or board at one side only, whereby an opening is left at the other side for placing leaves on and removing them from said plate or board, substantially as herein described.

5. 'Ihe combination, with the chain or belt of scrapers and Shafts and wheels for operating the same, of the hinged front plate or board,

F, armed at the upper edge with a serrated plate, Z, substantially as herein described.

6. The combination, with the chain or belt ICO IIO

of Scrapers and shafts and Wheels for operating the saine, of the hinged front plate or board, F, armed with a serrated plate, Z, and the adjustable guard-plate p, substantially as herein described.

7. The combination, with the chain or belt of Scrapers andshafts and wheels for operating the same, of a brush past and in Contact with which the scrapers are moved and a plate or board for supporting leaves While under the action of the Scrapers and movable to provide for placing leaves thereon and removing the-n1 therefrom, substantially as herein described. l

S. The combination, with an endless chain or belt of Scrapers having rollers upon its pintles or joint-pins, of shafts and pairs of Wheels or flanges for operating said chain, a movable front plate or board for supporting leaves While under the action of the Scrapers, and tracks or Ways on which the said rollers travel and by which that portion of the chain which is operative is prevented from yielding away from the supporting plate or board, substantially as herein described.

9. The combination, with a chain or belt of Scrapers, consisting of plates E, severally provided with Scrapers and pintles or joint-pins connecting said plates, of shafts and Wheels for operating said chain of Scrapers and a movable front plate or board for supporting leaves While under the action of the scrapers, suloslantiallT as herein described.

10. The co1nbnation,Wit-hthe endless chain of Scrapers, consisting of plaies E, havingintermatching lugs or ears e, pintles or Joiptpins f, and rollersf on said pins, of the side plates or pieces, B, provided with ribs or surfaces h, past and close to which the ends 0f the pintles f nieve, and which form guards to keep the rollers on said pintles, and a m0vable front plate or board, F, for supportlng leaves, subst-antialhT as herein described.

GELS'I'ON SANFORD.

lVitnesses.

FRE-DK. Harms,

CMIL Soi-IWARTZ. 

